The Reverend Frederick E. Gillis, 72, died July 14, after a long battle with Lewy body disease. Fred was born in Cambridge, Mass., Dec. 12, 1940, to Raymond and Amy (Mann) Gillis.
He attended Boston Latin, Tufts University and Harvard Divinity School before his ordination and installation as the minister at the Channing Unitarian Universalist Church in Rockland, Mass.
Fred also served as minister in Halifax, Nova Scotia, before being called to Westminster Unitarian Church in East Greenwich in 1977, becoming Minister Emeritus in 2003. He and Judy then retired to Concord, N.H., where he continued to serve the church as an interim minister in Rutland, Vt., and then Peterborough, N.H.
An active member of the Unitarian Universalist Association throughout his career, Fred was also a member of the Greenfield Group, a ministerial study group, for 42 years. Throughout a long and distinguished career he served the church in a multitude of ways. His ministry and his writings continue to be an inspiration to colleagues and congregants alike.Fred was passionate about music, especially organs and organ music. An accomplished woodworker, he designed and built his own organ, and took particular pride in his part in helping to design and construct the Westminster Church organ. He was an avid outdoorsman and spent many happy days with his family at their camp at Newark Pond, Vt., kayaking, hiking and bird watching. Fred also greatly enjoyed building model trains and riding railways wherever he could.He is survived by his wife, Judy Stewart Gillis of Concord, N.H., his former wife, Kate Gillis of West Warwick, R.I.; two sons, Andrew Gillis (Karen) of Bedford, N.H., and Duncan Gillis (Vanessa) of Portland, Ore; three stepdaughters, Tracy Terry (Marc) of Ashland, Mass., Gillian Edeus (Leif) of Vevey, Switzerland, Erin Stewart (Jeff Fetter) of Concord, N.H., and 10 grandchildren: Meghan, Bailey, Fiona, Lizzie, Caroline, Maddy, Matthew, Cate, Philip and Henry.A celebration of Fred’s life will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Westminster Unitarian Church, 119 Kenyon Avenue, East Greenwich, Rhode Island.There will also be a service in Fred’s honor on September 29, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Concord, 274 Pleasant Street, Concord, N.H., during the regular worship service.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The UUA Living Tradition Fund, PO Box 843154, Boston, Mass., 02284-3154, or to Lewy body research, MGH development office, Attn: Shawn Fitzgibbons, 165 Cambridge St., Suite 600, Boston, Mass.
An active member of the Unitarian Universalist Association throughout his career, Fred was also a member of the Greenfield Group, a ministerial study group, for 42 years. Throughout a long and distinguished career he served the church in a multitude of ways. His ministry and his writings continue to be an inspiration to colleagues and congregants alike.Fred was passionate about music, especially organs and organ music. An accomplished woodworker, he designed and built his own organ, and took particular pride in his part in helping to design and construct the Westminster Church organ. He was an avid outdoorsman and spent many happy days with his family at their camp at Newark Pond, Vt., kayaking, hiking and bird watching. Fred also greatly enjoyed building model trains and riding railways wherever he could.He is survived by his wife, Judy Stewart Gillis of Concord, N.H., his former wife, Kate Gillis of West Warwick, R.I.; two sons, Andrew Gillis (Karen) of Bedford, N.H., and Duncan Gillis (Vanessa) of Portland, Ore; three stepdaughters, Tracy Terry (Marc) of Ashland, Mass., Gillian Edeus (Leif) of Vevey, Switzerland, Erin Stewart (Jeff Fetter) of Concord, N.H., and 10 grandchildren: Meghan, Bailey, Fiona, Lizzie, Caroline, Maddy, Matthew, Cate, Philip and Henry.A celebration of Fred’s life will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Westminster Unitarian Church, 119 Kenyon Avenue, East Greenwich, Rhode Island.There will also be a service in Fred’s honor on September 29, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Concord, 274 Pleasant Street, Concord, N.H., during the regular worship service.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The UUA Living Tradition Fund, PO Box 843154, Boston, Mass., 02284-3154, or to Lewy body research, MGH development office, Attn: Shawn Fitzgibbons, 165 Cambridge St., Suite 600, Boston, Mass.
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